An aviation expert has revealed a groundbreaking theory that could dramatically shift the investigation into the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171. According to this expert, a small, easily missed detail in crash footage may hold the key to understanding what truly went wrong—and possibly uncover the real reason behind one of the deadliest air disasters in recent years.

The horrifying incident occurred shortly after takeoff. Air India Flight 171 had just departed from Ahmedabad, loaded with fuel for a long-haul journey to London. But only moments into the flight, disaster struck. The aircraft suddenly plunged into the densely populated city below—home to more than 5 million people—and erupted into a massive fireball just outside the airport’s boundaries.

The tragedy resulted in the deaths of all 241 passengers on board and several people on the ground. The impact was catastrophic, leaving a deep scar on the city and sparking a wave of grief across the world.

On June 12, the peaceful skyline of Ahmedabad was shattered. What had been a quiet, sunny day turned into chaos as a thick column of smoke and flames shot into the sky. Within seconds, vibrant neighborhoods filled with homes and families were reduced to a field of debris, fire, and heartbreak.

First responders raced to the scene, their sirens piercing through the city’s airspace as they approached the crash site. The remains of Flight 171 were scattered across rooftops, alleyways, and streets. Pieces of the aircraft were twisted into heaps of unrecognizable metal. Fires burned through the wreckage, and the smell of jet fuel hung heavy in the air. Bodies lay strewn across the site, charred and disfigured beyond recognition. The emotional toll on emergency crews and residents was immense.

Among this devastation, there was a single miracle. One man—40-year-old British national Vishwas Kumar Ramesh—survived. Currently in critical condition at a hospital in Asarwa, Ahmedabad, Ramesh spoke briefly to reporters from his hospital bed.

“I still can’t believe how I survived,” he said. “Thirty seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise—and then the crash. It all happened so fast. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by bodies.”

His survival has been hailed as extraordinary. Tributes have poured in from across the globe for those who lost their lives, but amid the grief, questions continue to swirl. What caused a modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner to fall from the sky so suddenly?

As investigators sift through the remains and analyze the aircraft’s recently recovered black box, one aviation expert is pointing to a clue that may have been hiding in plain sight.

Captain Steve Schreiber, a veteran airline pilot and aviation analyst, believes there’s already enough evidence to suggest a disturbing possibility—and he’s made his theory public in a now-viral video. Schreiber, known online as Captain Steeeve, carefully dissected a clip showing the final moments before the crash and identified something unusual: a small dark blur beneath the plane’s right wing.

“This is a total game changer,” Schreiber said in the video, pausing the footage to highlight the anomaly. He claims the blur is the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine, or RAT—a critical emergency backup system that only deploys when something has gone horribly wrong.

Schreiber explained that the RAT is a small, propeller-like device that extends automatically in specific failure scenarios. “Many airplanes have it. There’s a little door that holds it in,” he said. “It looks like a little two-bladed motor. The purpose of the Ram Air Turbine is to provide emergency electrical and hydraulic power to the aircraft in extreme situations.”

He further elaborated: “There are only three reasons a RAT will deploy automatically—massive electrical failure, massive hydraulic failure, or dual engine failure. Any one of those three things will trigger it.”

What’s more, Schreiber believes the sound in the footage offers even more support for his theory. According to him, a RAT emits a very distinct noise—something similar to a small propeller airplane or a high-pitched squeal. “It spins at incredible speed to generate the energy needed to power the systems,” he said.

Schreiber emphasized that, in his expert opinion, dual engine failure seems the most likely scenario. “I think it was dual engine failure, I’m firmly in that camp now,” he stated. “It could have been electrical, it could have been hydraulic—but the fact that the airplane appeared to ‘mush’ down from the sky, that loss of lift, suggests both engines went out.”

His video has already garnered over 9.6 million views, sparking a wave of speculation and debate among aviation enthusiasts and professionals. For some, Schreiber’s breakdown provides a compelling explanation. For others, it raises more questions than answers.

As of now, Indian aviation authorities have not confirmed or denied any specific theory. The official investigation is still ongoing, and the public awaits a final report that may take months to complete. The black box data is currently under review, and authorities are also interviewing maintenance crews, reviewing flight history, and analyzing pilot communications leading up to the crash.

If Schreiber’s theory proves accurate, it could radically alter the aviation industry’s understanding of what went wrong on that flight—and possibly change how emergency systems are designed or monitored going forward.

But for the families of the victims and a world watching with sorrow, the hope is simple: that the truth will be found, and that it will lead to justice and change.

What are your thoughts on Captain Schreiber’s theory? Do you believe the RAT deployment signals a major failure, or is it just one of many pieces in a much larger puzzle? We’d love to hear your insights—please share this story and let others join the conversation.